Monthly Archives: June 2012

Udo’s Choice Ultimate Oil Blend is an extremely popular product for many reasons. It is made with a blend of organic, cold-pressed, extra virgin oil such as Flax, Evening Primrose, Sunflower, Coconut to name a few and can be used in both hot and cold foods (but not as a cooking oil). Whilst many individuals happily include this oil in their diets without a second thought, many look for inspiration as to how they can incorporate it.

bodykind has just launched a fantastic offer where every order that contains a 500ml version of Udo’s Choice Ultimate Oil Blend will automatically get a free Udo’s Choice Recipe booklet (while stocks last). It contains 24 recipes to help inspire you into utilising your oil in a more creative and tasty way! With this in mind we decided to give you a little taster of some of the recipes included:

Directions: Melt the butter and add the chopped Onion & Potato. Season with the Sea Salt, Black Pepper and Nutmeg and cover to cook until soft. Add the grated courgettes and stock then bring to the boil until vegetables are soft. Puree the soup via a blender or liquidizer and add the ground Almonds. Pour into serving bowls and drizzle the Udo’s Oil on top, sprinkle the toasted Almonds on top and add cream if desired. Tip: The Oil should only be added to soup that’s going to be eaten immediately.

Directions: Very gently mix the beetroot & pear matchsticks together with the Oil and Lemon juice. Season with the Sea Salt and Black Pepper. Taste to check flavour. Place on a big platter, crumble over the Feta and sprinkle the mint on top.

Directions: Place the cooled chickpeas into a food processor along with the garlic clove, Udo’s Oil, Tahini and the roasted Red Pepper. Blend until smooth and refrigerate. Add more Udo’s Oil if you prefer a lighter consistency. Serve chilled & garnished with the Parsley & Paprika alongside some warmed up wholemeal Pitta breads or freshly chopped crudités.

We hope you enjoy testing out these recipes and that this “taster” selection of recipes gets your tastebuds going. Udo’s Choice Ultimate Oil Blend should always be kept in the fridge to preserve the delicate oil.

*Recipes & Images courtesy of the team at Udo’s Choice via “Udo’s Choice: Delicious Recipes for all the Family”

The research, published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association, used data provided by almost 70,000 women to find links between diet and stroke risk.

Citrus Fruits can help in the prevention of Stroke

Citrus fruits contain special compounds called flavanones, a special subclass of flavonoids which act as powerful antioxidants.

The data was gathered from the Nurse’s Health Study, which provided details of the diets of 69,622 women. The researchers found that women who ate high amounts of flavanones in citrus fruits had a 19 percent lower risk of ischemic stroke than women who consumed the least amounts.

Study leader Aedín Cassidy, Ph.D., professor of nutrition at the University of East Anglia explains “Flavonoids are thought to provide some of that protection through several mechanisms, including improved blood vessel function and an anti-inflammatory effect.”

A typical serving of citrus fruit contains 45 to 50 mg of flavones. The women with the highest intake consumed more than 470 mg per day. While many of the women in the study consumed their flavanones in the form of orange juice or grapefruit juice, the researchers recommend that we should consume whole citrus fruits rather than sugary fruit juices.

These finding support a previous study which also found that citrus fruit and juice intake, but not intake of other fruits, protected against risk of ischemic stroke.

More studies are needed to confirm the association between flavanone consumption and stroke risk, in order to gain a better understanding of this link. In the meantime, there are several additional dietary measures than can help to protect against stroke.

Omega-3 fatty acids can help to keep blood vessels healthy and reduce the inflammation that is associated with ischemic stroke. Oily fish, ground flaxseeds, flaxseed oil and walnuts are all good sources of this essential fatty acid.

Garlic contains a chemical called allicin, which makes your blood less ‘sticky’, and so less likely to clot and cause a stroke. Flavour your food with plenty of fresh garlic – or if you don’t like the taste then try a garlic supplement.

Broccoli will help to boost your levels of folic acid. Other good sources of folic acid are spinach, asparagus and lentils. This B Vitamin lowers levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that can damage your arteries and increase your risk of stroke. The best way to cook broccoli is by steaming, as this helps to preserve the vitamin content.

Purple fruit and berries, such as blueberries, are rich sources of nutrients called proanthocyanidins, providing potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. Try adding a handful of blueberries to your muesli or your morning smoothie.

10 Tips for Hay Fever Sufferers

If you missed last week’s bodykind newsletter about Hay Fever and some effective and natural ways to manage the symptoms, you may be interested in the “10 Top Tips” that bodykind’s Nutritional Therapist Nadia Mason came up with below:

Fruits such as Blueberries, Blackberries and Elderberries are good for managing Hay Fever symptoms

Try to eat cabbage, onions and apples regularly. These foods are good sources of quercetin, a natural antihistamine.

Eat plenty of purple berries, such as blueberries, blackberries and elderberries, for their anti-inflammatory benefits. Try making a refreshing fruit smoothie with frozen blueberries, or add a spoonful of elderberry jam onto your morning cereal.

Drink peppermint tea. Peppermint contains a substance called rosmarinic acid, a powerful antioxidant that blocks production of allergy-producing leukotrienes.

Ensure you’re getting plenty of immune-boosting nutrients. Vitamin B6 and zinc play an important role in balancing histamine levels and supporting the immune system.

Increased sunlight in the summer results in higher levels of pollution in urban areas, causing the immune system to react. A good all-round antioxidant supplement can increase your resistance. Try one that includes vitamins A, C and E, selenium and zinc.

For stubborn symptoms, the amino acid methionine, in combination with calcium, can act as an effective anti-histamine. Try taking 500mg l-methionine and 400g calcium twice daily.

Food intolerances can sometimes make symptoms worse. Try limiting common culprits such as wheat and dairy products for a couple of weeks to see if symptoms begin to improve.

Omega-3 oils are one of nature’s best anti-inflammatory nutrients. Include oily fish in your diet at least twice weekly, and supplement with a good quality fish oil or flaxseed oil.

Anti-inflammatory bromelain, a nutrient found in pineapple, is thought to be helpful for hayfever sufferers. Try fresh pineapple, but be sure to eat the core too, as this part is highest in bromelain. Bromelain is available in supplement form. For best results, I often recommend taking bromelain alongside quercetin.

Vitamin D and Pregnancy

New research has linked levels of body fat in children to the Vitamin D intake of their mothers. Children are more likely to be fatter if their mother had low levels of Vitamin D during pregnancy.

The research was conducted by scientists at the Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit (MRC LEU), University of Southampton. This study looked at the vitamin D status of 977 pregnant women, and then investigated the body composition of their children at three weeks old, and at the ages of 4 and 6.

The analysis took factors such as maternal height, age, number of children, education, and smoking into consideration, as well as vitamin D intake from food and supplements. The study also took into account other factors such as the amount of weight gain in pregnancy, or the amount of physical activity of the children.

Good Vitamin D in Pregnancy is very important. Recent research suggests it could support healthy weight levels childhood.

After controlling these variables, the findings from this study showed that the children who were born to mothers who had low vitamin D status in pregnancy had more body fat when they were six years old.

The researchers suggest that Vitamin D deficiency in the womb might ‘pre-programme’ the baby to gain excess body fat later in childhood.

Professor Cyrus Cooper, Director of the unit that conducted the research said that the study underlined life-long effects of maternal nutrition: “The observations that maternal vitamin D insufficiency might be associated with reduced size at birth, but accelerated gain in body fat during early childhood, add to the considerable amount of evidence suggesting that vitamin D status during pregnancy may have critical effects on the later health of offspring.”

Study leader Dr Siân Robinson maintained that further research is needed, but emphasised the importance of understanding the consequences of nutrition in pregnancy. “In the context of current concerns about low vitamin D status in young women, and increasing rates of childhood obesity in the UK, we need to understand more about the long-term health consequences for children who are born to mothers who have low vitamin D status.”

Indeed there are growing concerns about levels of Vitamin D in young women. An estimated 50% of those in the UK are believed to have insufficient levels of this essential nutrient. It is currently recommended that pregnant women should supplement 10 micrograms of Vitamin D each day. Unfortunately many women are unaware of this recommendation and supplementation is not routine.

If you are currently pregnant, or trying to conceive, a suitable multi-vitamin is one of the best steps you can take to safeguard the health of your future children. Vitamin D levels are listed in either micrograms (mcg) or International Units (IU). 10 micrograms is equivalent to 400 International Units.

Alongside supplements, safe sun exposure is the best way to ensure that you’re getting the Vitamin D you need. While protecting the more sensitive skin on your face with a good sun block or a hat, you can expose your arms or legs to give yourself a Vitamin D boost. During the hot summer months, fair skinned women should start with just a few minutes exposure each day, while their skin builds up its natural protection. Foods such as oily fish, eggs and fortified breakfast cereals can also help you to boost your Vitamin D status.

Under the NHS Healthy Start scheme, pregnant women are entitled to free Vitamin D supplements. Alternatively you can take a good quality multi-vitamin and mineral formula that provides 10mcg of Vitamin D alongside the full spectrum of vitamins and minerals to support a healthy pregnancy.

Oxygen concentration in our blood is around 60% to 70% – anything below 52% and life becomes extinct

Before the industrial revolution oxygen levels on the planet were as high as 38% – in some places now they are as low as 10%

Oxygen is colourless, odourless and tasteless. But as a liquid or solid, it’s pale blue

booost Oxygen can help when breathless at high altitude, during sports or due to pollution levels

Canned oxygen is becoming increasingly popular – celebrities like Simon Cowell and Lady Gaga are using it, and sports stars are increasingly incorporating oxygen into their training and nutrition plans, both to help peak performance and to aid recovery.

One way to think about oxygen is to imagine it like an energy drink – it really does give you that kind of boost, both mentally and physically. But the big benefit is that unlike most energy drinks, oxygen has no calories and no sugar in it, and you don’t suffer from a post caffeine “low” in the same way as you do with most concoctions.

bodykind has recently teamed up with British company booost Oxygen to offer their product to their customers. You can find booost on the bodykind website.

They recommend a few “shots” if you’re feeling tired or lethargic. For exercise, they suggest up to 5 beforehand, as many as are needed during the workout, and 5 more at the end during your recovery phase.

As well as booost focusing on the sports benefits of using oxygen, there are many other uses for canned oxygen:

There’s plenty of research that headache symptoms (particularly so called “cluster” headaches) can be relieved

Oxygen is well known as being helpful for hangover symptoms

People living in areas of high pollution may certainly benefit from breathing pure, clean oxygen

It’s helpful at altitude, so anybody visiting high places for skiing, snowboarding or hiking could use the product

Canned oxygen is no substitute for medically administered oxygen, but for scuba divers, when there is no alternative, puffing canned oxygen can help until any decompression symptoms are being properly treated

Although it can’t help with weight reduction, using it to keep you motivated whilst exercising could contribute to a weight loss programme